Mich. starts lame-duck session, may focus on taxes

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Legislature began its lame-duck session Wednesday, with businesses not taking long to lobby for an ambitious agenda including a business tax cut and reductions in prison spending.

It may be doubtful, though, that lawmakers have the will or time to make big changes to taxes and the Department of Corrections budget in an abbreviated session that could total as few as six and as many as 13 days until year's end. Late December is the end of the road for many term-limited House members, creating a postelection opportunity for votes on politically unpopular or difficult issues.

The Republican-led Senate had a quiet session Wednesday. The Democratic-held House returns Thursday with no voting expected.

Legislative leaders mentioned other lame-duck priorities first: cutting spending in the existing state budget because revenues have been curtailed by poor auto sales and the declining economy; making term-limited wait a certain time before they can become lobbyists; restricting "predatory" home loans; and letting voters cast an absentee ballot for any reason.

But the leaders are open to negotiations over phasing out a 22 percent surcharge on the Michigan Business Tax. The loss in revenue would be offset by reducing the size of the prison population in Michigan, which has a higher per-capita incarceration rate than other states. Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm suggested such a trade-off earlier this year, but few details have been given other than recent suggestions independently released by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

Granholm is expected to discuss her lame-duck priorities with reporters Thursday, when lawmakers will meet privately to discuss their plans. Serious consideration of corrections reforms may be unlikely until next year.

"We've engaged in a very expensive get-tough-on-crime experiment," House Democratic Floor Leader Steve Tobocman of Detroit said. "I don't think we've gotten the results we thought we'd get."

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop of Rochester agreed that prison reforms need to be addressed.

"But I'm a little bit concerned that we're compromising our safety with some of these proposals," he said. "I want to make sure we do the right thing."

Senate Democratic Leader Mark Schauer of Battle Creek said it's probably unrealistic to craft a major deal on business taxes and prisons during the lame-duck session. But he said a good first step might be re-establishing a commission to propose criminal sentencing guideline revisions. The panel was abolished nearly a decade ago.

Schauer, who won a congressional seat Tuesday, will keep his Senate leadership spot until resigning office in early January. Schauer's win is sure to ignite a fierce partisan battle to fill his Senate seat. Potential candidates include Democratic and Republican House members in the district.

Senate Democrats probably will decide soon on who should ascend to Schauer's leadership position.

Other lame-duck priorities for business groups include improving roads and other facets of the transportation system, possibly through alternatives to the gasoline tax; expanding Detroit's Cobo Center; and changing the rules governing Michigan's market for individual health insurance policies. Changes to the gas tax could prove too daunting to finish on a short timetable.

Lawmakers haven't found a way to compromise on legislation to ban smoking in all Michigan workplaces. The Senate wants a full ban, but the House wants exemptions for Detroit casinos and smoke shops. That is another issue that could be tackled this month and next.

All bills introduced during the current two-year session will die unless passed by the end of December.

Democrats control the House 58-52, but will have a 67-43 lead next year after dominating Tuesday's election. Republicans have an 21-17 edge in the Senate.

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